Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FZ100

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic FZ100, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FZ100 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FZ100 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was introduced 7 years later than the FZ100 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the E-PL9 grades against the FZ100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic FZ100 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 provides outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ100 has specifications of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic FZ100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL9 versus the FZ100.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and FZ100 is 85 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements merely by checking out a spec sheet. The visual here will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and FZ100.

Clearly, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will produce more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.